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THE PRESIDENT: The Chair recog-
nizes Delegate Juanita Jackson Mitchell.
(Applause.)
DELEGATE MITCHELL: Mr. Presi-
dent and fellow delegates: This is a great
day. But it is not a day of triumph.
Rather it is a day of rededication to the
enduring principles on which our nation
was founded.
One hundred years ago in this same
State House the Constitution was adopted
which precluded the people of this State
who were members of the Negro race from
voting. But today we have adopted a Con-
stitution which expressly prohibits dis-
crimination by the State on account of
race, color, religion or national origin.
Further, this Constitution is vital proof
that free men in a democracy, free men
and women of purpose and good will, in
the perilous and challenging times in
which we find ourselves, can act with
courage, speed and wisdom in meeting the
needs of the people who are determined to
live under a system of just laws.
We have forged here a document which
is more than a statement of fundamental
law. It is a symbol of our unity and our
allegiance to the highest American political
tradition of equality and justice. It pre-
sents an improved structure of the political
system of our State, which is essentially
to preserve liberty.
Importantly, we have provided here for
the maximum participation of the people in
their governing, and for keeping the gov-
ernment close to the people. And we have
faced the necessity of making the law so
clear that even the most humble will under-
stand that it is designed to be their pro-
tector, not their oppressor.
In a diverse group of citizens which in-
cluded a cross section of the population of
this State there arose questions on which
the delegates differed. Some proposals
were included or excluded to the disap-
pointment of their advocates, who sincerely
believed them to be vital and important.
Nevertheless, out of the careful study by
each delegate, the unfettered and fair de-
bate by all who wished to be heard, we
have forged a new constitution that has
commanded the support of the overwhelm-
ing majority of the delegates. The ma-
jority has spoken, and in our nation, that
is the will of this assembly.
In this document there is to be found
the common group on which all of us, the
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weak and the strong, the poor and the
rich, the black and the white, the believer
and the non-believer, can march forward
together in progress in this State, toward
our duties of life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness. As we sign this document we
are confident that we have given our State
an instrument of governance which is not
only mindful of the needs of our time, but
which has its eyes on the future of our
children and our children's children.
But the drafting is only half the job,
and we pledge today our best efforts to
the education of the people of this State
who have sent us here to know what we
have done. We are confident that on May
14 when this Constitution becomes the law
of Maryland, we will have given our State
a shield for the defense of sacred rights
and a sword to strike down the encroach-
ments of tyranny.
But more than this, our State will set an
inspiring example for all of its sisters in
the Union. America, America, God shed
His Grace on thee. Confirm Thy good in
brotherhood from sea to shining sea,
(The Convention rose and applauded.)
THE PRESIDENT: The Chair recog-
nizes Delegate Carlton R. Sickles.
(Applause.)
DELEGATE SICKLES: Mr. President:
When I come up to sign, my head will
swim with memories of this Convention —
of my own impatience and of your per-
sistence; of quorum calls and calls from
home; of camera clicks and microphone
squeals; of whispers from the walls and
shouts in this hall. And I shall walk with
pride, because we have done well.
Each generation makes some contribu-
tion to its country, and this generation in
Maryland will list as one of its major
accomplishments this Constitution and its
fruits. This accomplishment is no accident.
Each delegate contributed freely of his
talents — some by experience, some by en-
thusiasm, some by words; and yes, some
by silence.
We were tempted to be political, but we
were not. We were urged to be parochial,
but we were not. We were sought to pro-
tect special interests, but we did not.
While constantly reminded of a yesterday
that never really was, we dreamt of a
tomorrow that just must be.
While this is an end, it is but another
chapter in the saga of this Constitution of
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